As you look ahead to the coming days, weeks, months and years, what is your expectation? Do you expect blessing, favor, prosperity and peace? Or do you expect afflictions, hardship, trials and adversity? While we all experience some of the latter, the expectation for goodness and mercy to follow us is a gift from God. Romans 15:13 says, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” When our head is anointed with oil and our cup runneth over (Psalms 23:5), then it can become a reality that we trust and anticipate goodness and mercy to follow us. After experiencing the love, mercy and provision of the Good Shepherd, we will trust His faithfulness for the future. Our life is filled with hope even in adverse circumstances. We see in the above verse that hope, joy and peace are all together and it comes through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Now we have an expectation of good.
One aspect of this hope and assurance is expressed in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” When we belong to the Good Shepherd, we know that all aspects of life, the good and the adverse, all work together for something good and profitable, even though we may not understand it at the time. This assurance is a tremendous foundation for faith and hope.
Let There Be Life 